Dress for Safety

Off-road riding requires protective clothing. Wearing the correct clothing can reduce the chance of injury and make your ride more comfortable. Never operate an ATV without these essential items, and have them professionally adjusted when you purchase them to ensure the safest fit.

ATV Safety Gear

Oh, hey! You made it! Hey, Rob, look who’s here! We’re just getting outfitted for our big trip with you. Did you bring your gear? Oh, you haven’t gotten your gear yet. Don’t worry about it. We are going to take care of you. You see, you want to get all the right safety gear, and you want to look good. So let’s start with your helmet.

Rob

I think this’ll be perfect.

Haley

Well, considering the fact that this is the single most important piece of safety gear that’s going to protect your head and your face, you’re going to want to get it perfect. So let’s show you how to choose the perfect helmet.

Rob

Now, the first thing that you need to do is flip the helmet around and look for the stickers. For instance, this one meets DOT and Snell Foundation safety standards, which means that it’s way up there in compliance.

Haley

How’s the fit?

Rob

Well, it’s snug, yet comfortable. And I can’t fit my thumb between my forehead and the helmet, which is just how it’s supposed to be.

Haley

This one’s looking good. And here are a few more things to consider. The closed chin strap shouldn’t be pushing against your neck. When the strap’s snug, shake your head to make sure the helmet itself doesn’t move. And for heaven’s sake, make sure you can’t slide the helmet off your head. On a full-face helmet like this, you need at least one finger space in front of your chin. Check? Looking good.

Rob

All right, now for the rider position check. Now, a good fit in your helmet shouldn’t mess with your vision. So I’m clear looking ahead. Left and right are also 100% clear. Now, if you wear glasses, you should also do the check with them.

Haley

You should also have someone apply pressure like this to make sure it’s comfy, and that it completely surrounds your head. And you should wear it around for about five minutes to make sure there aren’t any irritation points.

Rob

So you’ve got a lot of choices here. Which one would you choose? The full-face helmet, the open-face helmet, the half-helmet, or just any hard hat? That’s right! A full-face helmet like this gives you, me, and professional riders the most protection while off-road riding. They’re the safest, and they look the coolest. It’s win-win.

Haley

This is a half motorcycle helmet, sometimes called a shorty. It offers the least amount of protection for off-road riding. They give you more of a view, but also expose more of that cute face of yours to off-road hazards. With no chin bar and a limited neck protection, you’d never catch a pro or one of our partners wearing them on a trail.

This is an open-face or 3/4 helmet. It offers decent protection, and allows for a wider field of vision. It covers the back of your head, forehead, and cheeks, but leaves your entire face open. It’s kind of like a full-face helmet without a visor and a chin bar. You can get a detachable face shield with it that helps protect your face from bugs, wind, and debris. They allow more head movement, but don’t offer your head as much protection as a full-face helmet.

Come on. Are you kidding me? Think about how cute your little face is. Don’t you want something that would protect that? That’s right. The full-face helmet is always the safest choice.

Rob

Now we have to get you some eye protection. Oh, [SCOFFS] no. These won’t do. These are for the beach, driving, and just looking cool. What you need are goggles.

This is what I’m talking about. They keep out mud, dirt, and debris. Try these.

Haley

All right. You’re almost there. Try these. These are off-road-style riding gloves. They offer the most protection and comfort. Besides protecting against blisters, cuts, and scrapes, they help you to grip the handlebars better, which will come in handy where we’re taking you. May as well complete the package with an off-road riding style jersey, or a long-sleeved shirt to protect you from scratches and the elements. Same goes for the pants. In fact, it’s better to get the real deal off-road riding pants with knee, hip, and shin protection.

Rob

Now you’re styling! Now, strap up those sturdy over-the-ankle boots of yours, and let’s hit the road.

Haley

Are you ready to rock? You look like a pro, and I cannot wait to show you where we’re going next. Come on!